Muscat: Glittering and glamorous crystals of natural gypsum found in Oman pose risk to roads and walls near mountains, according to Professor Dr. Bas den Brok, Head of the Department of Applied Geosciences at the German University of Technology in Oman (GUtech).
"Glittering and glamorous crystals of natural gypsum occur in some of the rock formations in the capital area of Muscat, for example along the road to Al Bustan Palace Hotel and around Bandar Al Jissah Resort and Spa as well as in Al Wattayah area," explained Professor den Brok during his presentation titled "Natural Gypsum in Rocks in Oman - beautiful and dangerous" at the GUtech premises.
Gypsum crystals grow naturally and under the microscope they look like fibrous veins, he said.
However, these gypsum crystals, Prfessor den Brok explained, pose so-called geotechnical threats to our environment.
"For instance, when it rains these crystals dissolve easily and develop large holes, e.g. in the walls of road-cuts through the mountains in Muscat or in sinkholes close to the sea," he pointed out.
"As a result, parts of the walls become unstable and rocks can collapse easily," said the German academician .
"When the rainfall stops, water evaporates and new crystals of gypsum grow inside the rocks - the cycle starts again. Gypsum that develops in the sabqas, the coastal areas in Oman leave traces of salt on the bottom," he added.
Professor Bas said, these dangers are well-known to road builders, but it is dangerous, especially for children, to venture out into these areas.
Professor Dr. den Brok has been Head of the Department of Applied Geosciences at GUtech since the beginning of 2010. He has specialised in structural geology and tectonics and has worked at Utrecht University, the University of Mainz, at the Institute of Earth Sciences at Strasbourg and at ETH Zurich. He has carried out a number of research projects in Switzerland, Germany, France, the U.S. and in Oman.
